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Will you download the contact tracing app?

jetsonx

I know privacy is very important to people but I fear that drastic times call for drastic measures.

Let's say the Irish Government introduced a smartphone app tomorrow to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The app would record all your movements and triage the data against the movements of those infected with COVID-19. An app which could save thousands of lives.

Would you allow this app to be installed on your smartphone?

(The data would be solely used by health authorities)

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Comments

[Deleted User]

GarIT wrote: »

At some point you selected the UK or some other country as your region or changed region to the uk to get siri working like used to be required or bought a phone from abroad. Somewhere in settings region should be an option you might be able to change it to Ireland or on your IOS/Google account.

Nope. Region - Ireland. Phone is bought here directly from the Apple.ie online store too.

spookwoman

GarIT wrote: »

I hate these nutters that think this app is sending off a load of data. It has been throughly reviewed by the public who know how to and are the most privacy concered along with apply and google for compliance with their no tracking requirements to be allowed to be listed as the official covid app in a country.

As if their data is not out there already when they buy a phone, insurance, tax for the car, pay bills etc. HSE will already have your details if you have ever been in hospital, medical card etc.

Fitz*

antimatterx wrote: »

Huh?

Just a joke that you were praising the people who built the app, and that actually you were on the team that built it.

Pauliedragon

"This item is not available in your country"??

rtron

We have flattened the curve, there's no need for the app we're a bit late now.

GarIT

ReginaldSmythV wrote: »

Nope. Region - Ireland. Phone is bought here directly from the Apple.ie online store too.

That's very strange then. I think IOS accounts might have regions too. Or it could be some weird interaction with the IOS 14 beta that I think I saw someone was using, might have been you?

brianomc

Pistachio19 wrote: »

Mine says "Unfortunately this device does not support Contact Tracing. You can still use the app for COVID Check-in and Updates"

It's possible that you need to run a software update on the phone. There was a recent one for iPhones anyway about a month ago that is needed to support the app

ExMachina1000

fly_agaric wrote: »

Yeah, we already know you won't use the application. Think you told us trusting sheep twice already.

I don't think that you are a "sheep"
Do whatever you want . Enjoy

Pistachio19

brianomc wrote: »

It's possible that you need to run a software update on the phone. There was a recent one for iPhones anyway about a month ago that is needed to support the app

Cheers - will do that now.

antimatterx

FitzShane wrote: »

Just a joke that you were praising the people who built the app, and that actually you were on the team that built it.

I wish. My work isn't that interesting, itching for a change.

[Deleted User]

rtron wrote: »

We have flattened the curve, there's no need for the app we're a bit late now.

The place has descended into a shambles. Watch that curve fly up.

GarIT

brianomc wrote: »

It's possible that you need to run a software update on the phone. There was a recent one for iPhones anyway about a month ago that is needed to support the app

I wonder if there is going to be issues with device manufacturers having to approve updates for Android devices but not doing so.

[Deleted User]

GarIT wrote: »

That's very strange then. I think IOS accounts might have regions too. Or it could be some weird interaction with the IOS 14 beta that I think I saw someone was using, might have been you?

Good thinking actually, I am on the iOS 14 beta. The mustn’t have included it in the early builds.

[Deleted User]

GarIT wrote: »

I wonder if there is going to be issues with device manufacturers having to approve updates for Android devices but not doing so.

Google can do it through Play Services which is more like an app update on any device. They won’t need a full system update.

murpho999

rtron wrote: »

We have flattened the curve, there's no need for the app we're a bit late now.

It hasn't gone away you know?

This is another effective tool that has been developed quite quickly when you think about it and will help in future battles to keep that curve surpressed.

MickeyLeari

Is my understanding correct on the app...

- when you use the app it ‘records’ via bluetooth other phones which have the app via anonymised ids...2 m for 15 mins
- if you test positive for the virus and have the app, the HSE gives you a code to upload your records.
- if your id was recorded on that person’s phone then you will receive a notification that a contact tested positive and then you can seek to get tested etc.... as is the case for manual contact tracing

spockety

MickeyLeari wrote: »

Is my understanding correct on the app...

- when you use the app it ‘records’ via bluetooth other phones which have the app via anonymised ids...2 m for 15 mins
- if you test positive for the virus and have the app, the HSE gives you a code to upload your records.
- if your id was recorded on that person’s phone then you will receive a notification that a contact tested positive and then you can seek to get tested etc.... as is the case for manual contact tracing

Yep.

[Deleted User]

Downloaded app. Clean looking and easy to set up. Shared to FB too.

John Hutton

Any idea what the battery drain will be like?

rtron

murpho999 wrote: »

It hasn't gone away you know?

This is another effective tool that has been developed quite quickly when you think about it and will help in future battles to keep that curve surpressed.

No doubt covid 19 is very much part of our future and if we are to get our educational, travel and businesses open again long term, this tool has potential to help and be very effective if it's made mandatory.

GarIT

John Hutton wrote: »

Any idea what the battery drain will be like?

Google and Apple worked together to create a special API to make it as minimal as possible.

counterpointaud

rtron wrote: »

No doubt covid 19 is very much part of our future and if we are to get our educational, travel and businesses open again long term, this tool has potential to help and be very effective if it's made mandatory.

I think it's problematic for many reasons to make the installation of any app mandatory, but hopefully enough care has been taken here with privacy concerns, publishing source code, battery life etc that most reasonable people will not have many reasons not to install it.

GarIT

counterpointaud wrote: »

I think it's problematic for many reasons to make the installation of any app mandatory, but hopefully enough care has been taken here with privacy concerns, publishing source code, battery life etc that most reasonable people will not have many reasons not to install it.

I agree, except to avail of non-essential entertainment. I don't see why it can't be mandatory for going to the pub.

counterpointaud

GarIT wrote: »

I agree, except to avail of non-essential entertainment. I don't see why it can't be mandatory for going to the pub.

Yeah I kind of agree with that in principle - like a pub refusing entry if you didn't use their app to scan your contact details or something (I know there are apps like that in other countries, Sweden maybe?) - but I would have a problem with Govt. enforcing it.

GarIT

counterpointaud wrote: »

Yeah I kind of agree with that in principle - like a pub refusing entry if you didn't use their app to scan your contact details or something (I know there are apps like that in other countries, Sweden maybe?) - but I would have a problem with Govt. enforcing it.

I was more just thinking that you have to show the contact tracing app to the bouncer the same way you would show id. The app will take care of handling who was nearby, no need to link yourself to the pub.

JP Liz V1

Does the app notify you if near a positive carrier?

YellowBucket

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Does the app notify you if near a positive carrier?

Within 2 to 4 hours you’ll get a notification.

From what I’ve read it works by generating random codes which are not stored in a database, but just in your phone. When you encounter someone else’s phone their app stores your random codes.

If you’re diagnosed with COVID-19, you’re invited to upload your codes to the HSE.

So unless you’re diagnosed and you upload your random codes, they’re just that - random code and don’t identify you personally.

Your random code changes every so often to avoid having a persistent code that could be tracked by a third party.

If diagnosed, your uploaded, randomly generated codes are then put on a hotlist. That’s sent out to the apps every 2 to 4 hours (seems to be 2h on Android and 4h on iOS) When your app identifies that it’s been in contact with a code that matches a code on that hotlist, you get an alert.

If (and only if) you’ve registered a phone number on it, the app can also alert the HSE to call you back.

The technology is totally distributed and the matching is getting done locally, on your phone, not by a central database.

The concept Apple & Google came up with was aimed to avoid a creepy central database or constant monitoring by a central authority & it really does go out of its way to avoid giving anyone an ability to constantly track you.

It seems to be very much built around an ideal of data protection.

It’s potentially very useful but only if it gets decent use levels.

Peregrinus

JP Liz V1 wrote: »

Does the app notify you if near a positive carrier?

No. It tells you if you have been near a positive carrier within (I think) the past fortnight, but it doesn't tell you who that was or when within the time period it happened.

Mr E

Seems like a pretty slick app. Over 40k installations which is a good takeup for the start of launch day.

robinph

Do the various international apps all play nicely together and share their codes internationally?

What happens if someone from Berlin meets someone from Dublin for a pint in a pub in London, then the next day after flying home one of them gets a positive test? Are the international apps sharing to one database or is it separate for each country?

Basically, is there any reason not to use the Irish app in the UK seejng as it's not blocked on the UK app stores? If the NHS just changed the colour scheme they could pretend it was theirs and increase take up in the UK.